A view from the UK

Working with Kreab, an international communications consultancy with an emphasis on public affairs, we have put together a blog that explores the burning questions when it comes to the UK’s exit from the European Union. And how this might affect you.

It might only be a procedural step but this week marked another important pre-Brexit negotiations milestone. The Council of Ministers’ General Affairs Council (GAC) formally approved its Brexit “negotiating directives”, the final procedural hurdle ahead of the start of negotiations proper.

Mrs May alone can explain her motivation for calling an early election. Rumours and speculation abound about her precise reasoning but a general consensus on her prime motivation seems to be: reinforcing her legitimacy to deliver Brexit.

If 2016 was annus horribilus for the EU, is 2017 looking like it might be any better? The prudent pundit would not touch that question with a barge poll. The saying goes “a week is a long time in politics”. These days a week is an eon.

The last month has been dominated by the passage of the Brexit Bill through the House of Lords, not least as the Government does not have a majority in that chamber so has to work harder to get its way.

President Jean-Claude Juncker presented his contribution to the upcoming Rome Summit, taking place later in March and marking the 60th anniversary of the EU. It is a White Paper on the future of Europe, introducing five alternative scenarios for how the EU could develop.

Internationally operating businesses and investors are experienced and well equipped to deal with risk: for example establishing internal processes and seeking external counsel to manage operational, market and regulatory risk.